Biotechnology Training in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering

描述(由申请人提供)：加州大学洛杉矶分校生物医学科学与工程(BTBSE)生物技术培训计划的目标是教育和培训下一代高技能的科学家和工程师，他们将在多学科生物技术研究中担任领导角色。这一目标是通过一个包括多学科研究的连贯的两年期培训计划、由生命科学和工程方面的正式课程和跨学科实验室轮换组成的共同课程以及工业实习来实现的。所要求的课程包括一门关于大分子合成和结构的课程，一门从工程师的角度看分子生物技术的课程，一门“生物技术论坛”课程，以及一门研究伦理学的课程。生命科学实习生必须在工程导师的研究实验室工作至少三个月；同样，工程师必须在他们的生命科学导师的实验室工作。生物技术社区主要是通过每月实习生午餐研讨会系列和年度生物技术研讨会来培育的，该研讨会聚集了大约50名学生、教师和行业代表，目前已进入第四个成功的阶段。完成这一项目的受训人员将具备在该行业普遍存在的生物工程师和生命科学家组成的多学科团队中发挥作用的能力。生命/健康科学和工程学之间的接口是非常丰富的多样性，这个生物技术计划广泛地专注于分子和细胞研究。建议的BTBSE项目的教师参与者都是从事分子和细胞水平研究的博士生导师，大多数人已经建立了跨学科的合作关系。学院的研究活动涵盖与生物技术相关的广泛的基础生物医学研究，包括酶生物催化、耐热酶、代谢工程、DNA微阵列技术、一氧化氮代谢、神经退行性疾病的分子基础、生物传感器、组织工程、厌氧菌微生物学、蛋白质纳米胶囊、纳米生物技术、生物信息学、基因组学、蛋白质组学、蛋白质分子进化以及重组蛋白质中非天然氨基酸的加入。这样一系列由合作研究人员开展的研究活动为学员提供了一系列令人兴奋的多学科研究机会。参加拟议培训计划的教师本学年有机会从127名符合条件的博士生中招聘(包括13名代表不足的少数族裔学生)。主任和教师导师在少数族裔学生的发展和招生方面非常积极和成功，特别是来自非常多样化、人口稠密的大洛杉矶地区的学生。计划在未来几年将该方案扩大到6/年的实习生毕业率(12/年的培训毕业率)。总而言之，加州大学洛杉矶分校提供了成功实施生物技术培训计划所必需的有才华的多学科教师、聪明多样的学生、研究资源、课程以及与行业互动的机会。 公共卫生相关性：该项目将教育和培训优秀的博士生，使他们能够将生命科学和工程学原理应用于与健康相关的问题。在获得学位后，大多数以前的实习生预计将在生物技术行业担任领导职务，该行业专注于药品和其他与健康相关的产品的商业化。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the UCLA Biotechnology Training in Biomedical Science and Engineering (BTBSE) Program is to educate and to train the next generation of highly skilled scientists and engineers who will assume leadership roles in multidisciplinary biotechnology research. This goal is achieved through a cohesive 2-year training program entailing multidisciplinary research, a common curriculum composed of formal coursework in life science and engineering and of a cross-disciplinary laboratory rotation, and an industrial internship. The required coursework is comprised of a course in macromolecular synthesis and structure, a course on molecular biotechnology from an engineer's perspective, the "Biotechnology Forum" course, and a class in research ethics. Life science trainees must work in the research laboratory of an engineering mentor for at least three months; likewise the engineers spend time in the laboratory of their life science mentor. A biotechnology community is fostered principally through the monthly trainee lunch seminar series and the Annual Biotechnology Symposium, which brings together ~50 students, faculty and industry representatives and is currently in its fourth successful installment. Trainees who complete this program will be equipped to function productively in the multidisciplinary teams of bioengineers and life scientists prevalent in the industry. The interface between the life/health sciences and engineering is extraordinarily rich in its diversity, and this biotechnology program focuses broadly on molecular and cellular research. Faculty participants in the proposed BTBSE Program all mentor PhD students who conduct research focused at the molecular and cellular level, and most have established cross-disciplinary collaborations. The faculty research activities cover a broad spectrum of basic biomedical research related to biotechnology including, enzyme biocatalysis, thermostable enzymes, metabolic engineering, DNA microarray technology, nitric oxide metabolism, molecular basis of neurodegenerative disease, biosensors, tissue engineering, anaerobe microbiology, vaults (protein nanocapsules), nanobiotechnology, bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, protein molecular evolution, and incorporation of unnatural amino acids in recombinant proteins. Such an array of research activities conducted by collaborating researchers provides an exciting menu of multidisciplinary research opportunities to trainees. Faculty participants in the proposed training program have had the opportunity to recruit from a pool of 127 eligible PhD students (including 13 underrepresented minority students) this academic year. The Director and faculty mentors are very active and successful in underrepresented minority student development and recruitment, especially from the very diverse, populous greater Los Angeles area. It is planned to grow the program over the next several years to a trainee graduation rate of 6/year (12 in training/yr). In sum, UCLA provides the talented multidisciplinary faculty, bright and diverse students, resources for research, courses, and opportunities to interact with industry that are necessary to mount a successful biotechnology training program. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This program will educate and train outstanding PhD students in the application of the principles of life science and engineering to health related problems. After earning their degrees, most former trainees are expected to assume leadership roles in the biotechnology industry, which is focused on commercialization of pharmaceuticals and other health-related products.